Vitamin D deficiency and depression among women from an urban community in a tropical country.

<bold>Objective: </bold>To determine the association of vitamin D status with depression and health-related quality of life among women.<bold>Design: </bold>This was a cross-sectional study conducted among women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity status, perceived depression and health-related quality of life were assessed via a self-administered questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were taken for the analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, fasting blood glucose and full lipid profile. Complex samples multiple logistic regression analysis was performed.<bold>Setting: </bold>Public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<bold>Subjects: </bold>Seven hundred and seventy female teachers were included.<bold>Results: </bold>The mean age of participants was 41·15 (95 % CI 40·51, 41·78) years and the majority were ethnic Malays. Over 70 % of them had vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml or <50 nmol/l) and two-thirds were at risk for depression. In the multivariate analysis, ethnic Malays (adjusted OR (aOR)=14·72; 95 % CI 2·12, 102·21) and Indians (aOR=14·02; 95 % CI 2·27, 86·59), those at risk for depression (aOR=1·88, 95 % CI 1·27, 2·79) and those with higher parathyroid hormone level (aOR=1·13; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·26) were associated with vitamin D deficiency, while vitamin D deficiency was negatively associated with mental health-related quality of life (Mental Component Summary) scores (aOR=0·98; 95 % CI 0·97, 0·99).<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with depression and mental health-related quality of life among women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]